Flour-packing machine



Dec. 9, 1924- l,518,921

H4.' OB. HARDING FLOUR PACKING MACHINE Dec, 9, 1924.

v 1,518,921 H. oB. HARDING FLOUR PACKING MACHINE Filed June 1, 1920 Y 4Smets-sheet 2 mvEN-roo NG HENRv oa. HA wrrNezss:

l @Lawu ATTORNEYS Dec.9,1924. 1,518,921

H. OB. HARDING FLOUR PACKING MACHINE Filed June 1, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 5FIG' 3 NVEN'TOR HENRY O'. HARDNG ATTORNEYS De@ 9,1924. I

' H. OB. HARDING FLofUR PACKING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed June 1==ianlll1|ll-Illllllluwawlll 5 m a l INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 9, 1924,

@Roser nerr-ena or son-e.

.i ,n nl S. @gewannen @n rincon-neutrino MAoHfIngs..

Application. filed June, 1f,

110,. @ZL when; 22; may concern;

Beit. known that; aHnnRnOE Hermine, n. Citizen. @if die United; States.residing. at Minneapolis in. the. nnnnty, ntl Hennepin. and! Qt Blinnesetnr han@ invented; ner.-V tnnnen andnsefnh Erninovementsn Eloun-Backing lyLaclll-inesc, ofi, which the, following is a" speci-lication-The present invention nelatesgto machine-S. for' packing materials in.pnlvcnnlent forint and,A ymore particularly. for. the packing of Henn inbags or Small- Sncke The object of the invention` is the provision of;machine oli the character Stated theconstruction ofi Whiclp issuch, asto enable bags 01 Sacks otv.slavi-119;;-Szesg and designed to containvarying Weights.. off the material Dackedi t0. bef11ediexpeditiously-andf With-V out the necessity for incorporatingweighing. instrumentalities in the inachinQor den termination ottheprecise Weight ot: the filled. contenders.

The. inventionv further. seeks. to proyide. a machine of the. class`referred to wherein pr vision is made t0n- Coiupacting the-i ma:k teriaas it enters the. bag: or saclc so as to tilt the latter coiiallleteliy,and thnsinsure. the proper Weight ot the contents which the has 'sackisintended t04l contain.

Furtlae .inore, the invention also.. aiins. to preside a packing.niacin-xine such as linens tioned the parts of which are s o organizedand rela-ted as.` toA preclude undue impfdlnien-t thereof?, therebyaffording. a machine requiring but ininiinuin attention to= maintain inproper. Work-ing condition, and one in which the necessity tor repair.or replacement of parts is comparatively Slight.

Further objects and advantages will appear as. the nature of thelimprovements is better understood, the invention consistingsubstantially in the nov-el construction, cornbination and arrangementof: parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and finally pointed out in the, appended claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is presented in the disclosureherein, but this is not to be talgen in a limiting or restrictive sense,it being intended to delineate to the artan appropriation of the conceptand its application in practical forni to the purposes 'for which theinvention is contemplated,

19129. Serial Nn. 38,545,654

In the. drawings; Eig. L sfnl front elevation Qta, flora-.packingYmachins.. Constructed in., accordance. with.

the. Present invention.;

Figs., Zend Slain Sideaudireanelenntons, nniiectivnls, thennefs;

Eig, 4L sectional. plan vien( on thelinc nii-7.1i, off-Eig.. 1f; i i AEig, 6 is a front elevation.` thereoff;

7w is a, detail sectional viewon, the linei773 oEig, 3;

Eig. Siis a detail elevation of the accelerating clutch-shittin-g,lever.- and the actuator therefor.;

Fig, 9 is. a longitudinal: sectional view of the accelerating clutch;`

Fig. 10 is` a det-ait perspective vien!I of certain.. ot` the.leverfshiitting contacts and the support tenths'. same; i'

Fig. 11 is a similarview of the counterbalance tor the, bag-supporting.Vcarriage.`

Referring now in detail to.` the. accompanying. drawings, the, numeral 10. designates a pair.;A oli verticalh supporting standards which.Jfor-In a part ot. the machine traine, and: by which thefwieight oli-themachine is sustained. Arranged between said stand# arde 10, and suitablyheld therein,I is a feed hopper. 11 with which communicates a supplychute. 12 that leads from an elevated source. oji the flour to bepacked. rI Fhe p assage of: the fiouu througlixtlie chute 12 iscontrolled by. a sliding," gate 13, arranged therein,q andconnected-v'toil said gate 13 4is an operating' lever. 141 which has' alug 15 connected tlieretdthat cooperates with a supporting raclg 16projecting to one lside oi. the frame ot. the machine. The teeth of therack 16 are engaged by the lug 15, and obviously the degreeof movementot the gate. 13 across the supply chutelz'may be easily controlled andregulated by adjusti lment of tire operating lever 14on'saidl'sulpporting rack. i 'i y At the head of: the supportingstandards 10, and-v disposed at opposite"sides of the frame, is apairoii horizontal suoporting` rails 17, which rails preferably are formedot angle iromand passing through the chute 12, in parallel relation Withthe railsy 17, 'but at a point above the 'sama'is'a line shaft 18 treinvwhich power is 'derived 'for rhiving intermediate shaft 2O the ends ofwhich are journaled in suitable bearings 21 carri-ed by Jthe supportingrails 17. At the opposite side of the supply chute 12, and located atthe upper portion of the machine frame, is a clutch mechanism 22 whichis connected to a packing shaft 23 disposed vertically of the machine,said clutch mechanism 22 providing an intermediate driving connectionbetween the packing shaft 23 and the line shaft 18. The shaft 23 passesdownwardly through the feed hopper 11, and mounted on said shaft, withinsaid hopper 11, is a plurality of packing angers 24. These augers serveto force the flour or other material being packed downwardly through thehopper 11, which hopper has a contracted tapering lower end 25 whichterminates in a discharge nozzle 2G. The bag to be filled is applied tothe lower end of the discharge nozzle 26, and under the action of thepacking angers 24 the flour is compactly pressed into the container onsaid nozzle.

Cooperating with the feed hopper 11 and its discharge nozzle 26, andserving to support the bag in sustained relation to the nozzle 26 as thebag is being filled, is a bag supporting carriage 27. This is in theform of a rectangular vertically-disposed frame 28 from which extends ahorizontally-arranged shelf 29, said carriage 27 being mounted forvertical movement between the supporting members 10 of the frame. Theedges of the frame 28 are fitted between vertical guide rods 30, la pairof which is mounted'at the inner face of each of the members 10. Theframe 28 has a series of rollers 31 mounted thereon, said rollers beingdisposed between the guide rods 30, and thereby reducing' frictionalmovement as the carriage 27 operates. There is slight play between therollers 3l and the guide rods 30 to accommodate proper vertical movementof the frame 28 so as to insure rolling contact of said rollers with theguide rods in such movement of the frame. This provides for slightcanting of the frame 28 as it rises and falls and establishes propermovement of the rollers 31 along the guide rods 30.

A controlling shaft 32 is arranged at the rear of the supporting members10, the ends thereof being mounted in suitable bearings 33 carri-ed bysaid members 10, and mounted on said shaft 32 is a sprocket wheel 34over which a sprocket chain 35 is connected to a brace strap 36 whichextends from the shelf 29 to the upper end of the frame 28 and therebyimparts rigidity to the bag-support 27, the other end of said chain 35being con nected to a supporting frame 37 designed to receive aplurality of counterweights 38 for counterbalancing the carriageY 27.The frame 37 is received by a pair of parallel vertical guides 39suitably supported by straps 40 on the members 10. Provision, therefore,is made for counterbalancing the carriage 27, and when the latter isrelieved of the weight of the filled bag the weight-s 38 serve toelevate the shelf 29 of said carriage to a point immediately below thedischarge nozzle 26, and to maintain the same in this position so thatthe empty bag placed upon the discharge nozzle 26 will be held thereonuntil forced downwardly by the introduction of the fiour from saidnozzle. The ends of the counterweights 38 are notched for receivinginwardly-extending V-shaped guides 41 arranged vertically of the sidesof the frame 37. These guides terminate short of the upper end of theframe/37 to permit introduction of the weights to and removal of thesame from the frame. When placed over the upper ends of the guides 41the notches of the weights 38 register with the upper ends of saidguides, and their downward movement in the frame 37 locks them inengagement with said guides. At the upper end of the frame 37, andarranged at opposite sides thereof, is a pair of pivoted latch members42 which are mounted upon a pintle 43. Each of these latch members maybe swung independently of the other, their lower ends extending belowthe upper end of the frame 37, and thus preventing any displacement ofthe counterweights 38 from the guides 41 untilr the latch members areproperly swung to one side of the frame.

For starting the packing shaft 23 and the angers carried thereby anoperating lever 44 is employed. This is in the form of a bell-cranklever which is bolted to a shaft 45 carried by one of the supportingmembers 10. The short arm of said bell-crank lever is pivoted toaconnecting rod 46 which `extends upwardly, the upper end of said rod 46Vbeing pivotally connected, as at 47, to an actuating arm 48 which isconnected to the clutch mechanism and by which the driving relation ofsaid clutch mechanism to the driving shaft 18 is controlled. rTheoperating lever 44 may be controlled by hand or by foot, and for thelatter purpose a treadle fr'ame 49 is hingedly connected to the lowerends of the members 10, a connecting link 5() extending from said frame49 upwardly to the operating lever 44. Thus it will be seen that if thefoot be applied to the frame 49, and downyward pressure be exertedthereon, the operating lever 44 will be swung downwardly,

with an intermittent drive which is actuated from the constantlyrotating shaft 20. rlhis drive includes a pulley 76 carriedby the shaft2O over which is trained a belt 77, and said belt is also trained o-vera driven pulley 78 connected with one member 7 9 of a clutch, the othermember 8O of which is fastened to the shaft 32. While the member 79 issupported by the shaft 32 it rotates independently thereof. Vhen movedinto engagement with the fixed member 8O the shaft 32 is actuated at thespeed of the clutch member 79 and thel driven pulley 78, and this speedis such as to accelerate rotation of the shaft 32, thereby causing thebag Supporting carriage 27 to descend for the rest of its downwardmovement under a quick impulse, and thus increasing its speed over thatinduced by the introduction of the flour into the bag by the compressiveaction of the packing shaft 23 and its angers. The acceleration of thedownward; movement of the bag supporting carriage does not take placeuntil the required weight of the contents has been filled in the bag. Atthis point the carriage 27 has descended to a sufficient extent that adownwardly-directed contact block 81 mounted thereon will engage areleasing lever 82 carried by the shaft 45, and thus connected, throughthe operating lever 44, with the rod 46. The lower end of the releasinglever 82 is oset so as to extend into the path of downward movement ofthe block 81. When the latter engages the releasing lever 82 it throwssaid lever 82 towards the member 10, or from the position shown bydotted lines in Fig. l to that shown by full lines therein, and thiscauses the rod 46 to move in an upward direction and thereby actuate theclutch mechanism 22 to brake its driving connection with the shaft 18,whereupon the packing shaft 23 ceases to rotate. lt is at this time thatthe clutch member 79 is moved into engagement with the clutch member 80.To ,effect this it will be observed that the member 79 and the drivenpulley 78 are mounted on a transversely swinging supporting bar 83pivotally connected to a bracket 84 carried by one of the frame members19. The lower end of the supporting bar 83 has a link connection 85 witha shifting lever 8G fulcrumed upon a support 87 Carried by the machineframe. The lower end of the shifting lever 86 (see Fig. 8) is in thepath of movement of a bell-crank lever 88 the vertical arm of which hasa horizontal engaging foot 89 at its lower end against which the lowerend of the lever 86 normally rests, and this engagement is preserved bya coil spring 90 one end of which is connected to the lever 88 and theother end of which is connected to a vertical supporting bar 91 carriedby the machine frame and arranged centrally thereof. T he spring 90exerts a pull on the lower end of the lever 86 to swing the lattertowards the middle of the machine frame, and said bell-crank lever 88 ispivotally connected to an attaching arm 92 carried by one of the framemembers 10. As the lower end of the lever 86 normally contacts with thebell-crank lever 88 the horizontal arm thereof is normally raised.Pivotally connected to the horizontal arm of said lever 88- is a contactfinger 93 having an anti-friction roller 94-journaled thereon. Thefinger 93 may swing upon the bell-crank lever 88 in an upward direction,as indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 8, but its movementv in adownward direction is limited by a lug 95 which engages a shoulder 96formed on the horizontal arm of the lever 88. The engagement of the lug95 with the shoulder 96 maintains the .linger 93 in alignment with saidhorizontal arm, and consequently pres-` sure exerted on the contactlinger 93 in a downward direction will swing the bellcrank lever 88 sothat the foot 89 thereof will swing the lower` end of the lever 86outwardly, resulting in engagement of the clutch member 79 with theclutch member 80. rllhis establishes driving connection between thepulley 78 and the shaft 32 and the accelerated downward movement of thebag supporting carriage results.

To effect actuation of the bell-crank 88 in the manner just described acontact shoe 97 is carried by the contact block 81,l which block iselongated, as shown in Fig. 10, and said block 81 is adjustably mountedon verti-cal slotted ysupport 98 centrally arranged on the frame 28 ofthe carriage 27 The adjustment of the block 81 'is effected by a thumbscrew 99 which engages the slot of the support. 98. The block 81 and theshoe 97, therefore, are capable of adjustment together, and by means'ofthe screw 99 the block 8l and the shoe 97 may beheld at any desiredpoint of adjustment along the support 98, thereby providing forengagement of the shoe 97 with the bell-crank 88, as well as engagementof the block 8l. with the leve-r 82, at different points on the carriage27. The lower end of the contact shoe 97 is deflected so that the samewill have a rolling contact with the anti-friction roller 94, and at thesame time this deflected end will swing the bell-crank lever 88 on itspivot until the roller 94 has cleared the deflected end whereupon theroller will travel along the vertical side of said shoe 97, therebyholding the clutch members. 79 and 80 in engaged rela-tion until theshoe 97 has cleared the bell-crank leve-r. At this time the pull of thespring 90 draws the lower end of the shifting lever 88 inwardly. andrele-ases the clutch member 79 from engagement with the member 80.llVhen this re lease takes place, and the filled bag has been ofthemechanism employed for shiftiirgthe clutch member 79.

ltisdesirable. that the upwardimovenrent ofithe carriage i 27 shouldb'e1li'mit'ed,an"d for this fpurposev a pair `of inwarilly deflected stopslOO'isfemployed. o'f'thes'erstmps is mounted on 'each ofethe :framemembers 10, the/upper end of 'each 'stop terminati" in-an overhanginghead 101. Thcselhe -s lOl are contacted Aby rearwardly-exten dingabutments l02'carri'ed by rthe carriage 127, whereby the upwardmovenrent the I earria-ge 27 is checked.

To 'cushion the `carriage as' it 'eo' nes f to rest `on itsdownwardmovement a seri-eg-of elastic buffers 103 are: supported inlthe-lower end ofthe frame in the. :path of said rarriage, the-loweren'dlfof the carriage contactingwith these bufersand therebyieliminating shock to the' carriage.

From the foregoing 'thfel operation vv'of the herein described machine'willfbel: understood, and `briefly described is'as follows: 'lheibag orsaclr' to bei filled' is'p'la'ced onthek discharge nozz'le 126 so A'thatthe fb'ottomf tl'iere'offwillfbe adj acent to' the lowerend' of saidnozzle. At this time the Ishelf f 29 v of" the 'bagV supporting carriage27 is -in its elevated position,=-'and the bag is held againstdownwarddisp-lacement from t'hefn'ozzle 26. The connecting rod f46 rnow beingforced downwardly, 'by downward-pressure r4appliedf tothe :operatinghandle 44 or to the trea'dle1frameH49,ltheactuating lever 48 `Noperatesv-the clutch mechanism to establish driving rrelation between the shaft18 and the packing shaft23 ln the movement of the lever 44njust=mentioned it is swung past a dead'centerand-to the dotted line positionshown in Fig. l, thereby holding down the connecting rod 46 and lockingthe clutch mechanism 22 in its operative power-transmitting position.This sets in rotation the packing augers 24, and the flour is therebyforced downwardly through the nozzle 2G into the bag or sack thereon.The Hour thus becomes compacted in the bag or sack, and as the latter isfilled the shelf 29 is forced downwardly against the counterbalancingeffect of the Counterweights 38, as well as the resisting action of thecontrol shaft 32 due to the braking action of the shoes 54 and 55 nowexerted on the friction wheel 53.' blt will .tbe iremembered that on theydownwar.d :movement of the rod 446 the vlever Gt4 dias be'en swungdownwardly :also 'by Athe yoke 66 and lconnecting irod .67 which textend'between fsaid lever 'and-said =rod 46. /Vhen lthe required quantityoffcontei'itfs has `been placed in itlie bag lor sack 'fthe bloc-lr *81'contacts `=witl1 and actuates the :lever r 82'to :the full-linefposition of `l,1=and=.thi-s throws fthe rod 46 'upwardly inorder todisccnn'eet,by properaactuati'on of the lclutch =mechanism 22, ithepacking shaft '123 from .its1driving `"relation withethe shaft 5.18.:isthefspring 72 is now pulling ithe llever .64 upwardly, the `brakeshoesie zand fare released ffrom fthe '-wheel 58 *so that l'resistance:ofV the: shoe|` 54 f and to rotation of the'control sha-ft 32 is1removed. `.The contact `shoe 97 vnow ib'eing in engagement xwith fthebell-crank `rlever *88, the yeon'tii'iueddownward movement of thecarriage 27 causesthebellecranlr lever 884:0 be' swung on itsp`ivot,lfiand ithe shifting |`lever 8G 1:to be "swung f-outwardly. Thisengages the clutch 1 member vT9 .withithe f. clutch 'finember 80,.f'in'iparting accelerated.' movement fto said control shaft, resultingin a vquick downward. movement of the carriageLQ? for the nremainder ofits travel "until shoe 97 rid s off vlever r88,"a'nd'thereby.fplacingzthe filled bag orsaclifin position"conveniently rto be.remet-'ed from the shelf-129. lVlrenthe weiglitofithey filled .bagorsack is ifreed ifrom th e shelf-'29 'the cou'nte'rweights E88ipromptly to Eraisefthecarriage `ftofits elevated position `and foriff-supporting a "new empty bag sach which has lbeen i placed v on thedischarge nozzle k:26. rlh-e :return upward movement vvof :the icarriage 'LQ/7, liunder influence fof ther counterweights- 38, bis, .ofcourse, rapid, but just priror to the Lcarriage 2T reaching"v the limit`ofits upward :movement the .fbrakesh'ees 541 and andere applied'itofthewheelr, and t`he :upward movement-...o the carriage 2T 'fis thuschecked. This :applicationofijthe brakelrshoesiis-.duetto @thefzcontactof :the tappet farm 75 witlntllie .finneriiend' of the lever :731ml thereverse `rotation of the sproolzetfwhecl 34fdue to the-descent otitheweights :38. f-l/Vhenwthis Contact ofther-.ta pp et 76 andithelflevery73 ytakes piacessaid lever is rocked on its pivot, its outer end isdepressed, and this depresses the lever 64 so as to swing the brakeshoes 54 and 55 into engagement with the wheel 53. The cycle ofoperations just described is repeated with each bag or sack, it beingunderstood that when the packing shaft 23 is at rest there is nodischarge of the flour from the nozzle 26.

Various sizes of bags may be employed, and the adjustability of theparts herein described permits the machine to ill the respective weightsof bags with the varying amounts of the flour or other material beingpacked. Under these adjustments the aclou ala'

tuation of the machine is such that appro-Ximately the exact weight willbe introduced to the different sizes of the bags, and this avoids thenecessity of incorporating in the machine weighing mechanism for thedeter mination of the precise weight of the contents of the bags. As thelatter are removed in their filled condition from the machine they maybe placed upon a scale and the required amount of liour placed in thebags o1 sacks or taken therefrom to give the precise weight of thecontents which the bags or sacks are to contain. In the actual workingof the machine herein described it is found that but slight variation inthe weight of the contents occurs, and this is compensated for at thetime that the actual weight of the filled bag is determined.

The machine may be equipped with a registering counter 104 forindicating the number of bags filled by the machine when in operation.This counter may be of any ap` proved construction and is actuated fromthe bag supporting carriage 27 to register each filled bag by suitabletripping devices interposed between said carriage and the counter.

I claim:

1. Ina machine of the class described, the combination with feedingmeans, of a receptacle support movable towards and away from the same, acontrol shaft, operative connections between said control shaft and saidsupport, said control shaft operating through said connections tocontrol positively the receptacle support in its movement bot-h to andfrom the feeding means,

and actuating shaft, a clutch for` yrendering the actuating shafteffective on the control shaft, and means operable by the receptaclesupport for operating the clutch.

2. In a machine of the class described, in combination, feeding means, asupport movable toward and from the same, a control shaft operablyconnected with the support,

an actuating shaft, a clutch for connectingy the actuating shaft to thecontrol shaft, braking means effective on the control shaft, and meansoperable by the support for operating the clutch and the braking means.

3. In a machine of the class described, the

combination with feeding means, of a receptacle support movable towardsand awayv through saidv connections to control positively the receptaclesupport in its movement both to and from the feeding means,

driving means for actuating the control shaft, and means operable by thesupport to control the effectiveness of the driving means on the controlshaft.

d. In a machine of the class described, the combination with feedingmeans, of a receptacle support movable towards and away from the same, acontrol shaft, operative connections between said control shaft and saidsupport, said control shaft operating through said connections tocontrol positively the receptacle support in its movement both to andfrom the feeding means, said operative connections between the controlshaft and said support serving also to determine the direction ofmovement of one by the direction of movement of the other, drivemechanism, a clutch controlling the effectiveness of the drive mechanismon the control shaft, and means operable by the support for operatingthe clutch.

5. In a machine of the class described, in combination, feeding means, amovable receptacle support, a control, shaft, driving connectionsbetween said shaft and the support whereby the direction of movement ofone is determined'by the direction of movement of the other, drivemechanism, a clutch controlling the effectivenessy of the drivemechanism on the control shaft, means operable by the support foroperatingv the clutch, braking mechanism for governing movement of thecontrol shaft, and means operable by the support for controllingeffectiveness of the braking means.

In testimony whereof I- have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY one. nannine,

l Witnesses: F. D. MCCARTHY,

J. H. MULLIKIN.

